Show ContentsSames History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Sames family

The surname Sames was first found in Essex where the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Kelveden Hatch held by a steward of Westminster Abbey who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

William de Sahan (died 1304), was an English judge, who may have been the son of Robert de Saham, but his father's name seems to have been Ralph. It is generally thought that he was a native of Saham Toney, Norfolk. [1]

Early History of the Sames family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sames research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1510, 1600, 1636 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Sames History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sames Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Sames, Sams, Sammes, Samms, Sam, Same, Samme and others.

Early Notables of the Sames family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sames Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Sames migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Sames or a variant listed above:

Sames Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elizabeth Sames, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" [2]
  • Eliz Sames, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 [2]
  • John Sames, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 [2]
Sames Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louis Sames, aged 10, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune" [2]
  • Ludwig Sames, aged 12, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune", he died in 1846 [2]
  • Peter Sames, aged 38, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune", he die din 1846 [2]
  • Marie Sames, (nee Donart), aged 34 who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune" [2]
  • John Sames, aged 4, who landed in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune" [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Sames (post 1700) +

  • Albert Morris Sames (1873-1958), United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
  • Albert M. Sames, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1920 [3]


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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